


The Funeral

by InimitableBiscuit



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Canonical Character Death, Charlie Weasley is a shameless flirt, Fred Weasley's Funeral, M/M, Pre-Slash, Survivors Guilt, Wordcount: 100-500
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-18
Updated: 2018-11-18
Packaged: 2019-08-25 12:51:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 479
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16661439
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InimitableBiscuit/pseuds/InimitableBiscuit
Summary: Harry cannot deal with being the cause of Fred's death. How can the Weasley's even look at him let alone accept him in their house?





	The Funeral

The funeral was as awful as Harry knew it would be. He watched dry eyed as the tears streaked down Ron, Ginny and Hermione’s faces; unable to feel anything as he heard Mrs Weasley’s wracking sobs and Percy’s sharp sniffs. That wasn’t entirely true, he felt all kinds of things – guilt at Fred’s death, self-loathing that he hadn’t prevented it and had damaged the Weasley family beyond repair 

Standing stony faced slightly apart from the sea of grieving red heads waiting for one of them to come and punch him. It was _his_ fault that Fred was in the ground instead of him. He turned, walked to the cool of the forest’s edge and pressed his face against a tree. The rough bark of the oak giving him something to focus on. He stayed for some time just grounding himself through the feel of the crenellated bark on his fingertips and forehead, the quiet smell of the forest close by bringing peace to his mind. 

Eventually slow footsteps sounded behind him. He squeezed his eyes shut harder, refusing to acknowledge this rude intrusion by real life. A voice spoke. 

“It’s time to go home for the wake” 

The low, male voice surprised Harry. It was like Ron’s but unlike it at the same time. A depth of timbre that called to him. He turned his head slightly to peek through his eyelids and spotted Charlie Weasley standing on the periphery of his vision. Harry was struck by how similar and opposing he was to the rest of the Weasleys. Shorter even than Fred and George, he was maybe 5’9” but his body was broad and packed with dense muscle, strong biceps visible even through his dress robes. The trademark red hair was lighter than the rest of them, evidence of a life spent outside as were the myriad freckles that adorned every visible surface. He only realised that he’d been obviously staring when the he caught the older watching him with an air of patience and out of place merriment. Harry blushed to the roots of his hair and turned away quickly when Charlie grinned and winked at him. 

“I mean, I know I’m pretty awesome but I haven’t had that kind of look turned on me for a while” came the deep voice laughing and yet slightly breathless. Harry squeezed his eyes harder, pushing into the solidity of the tree once again. 

“I’m sorry” he whispered against the trunk then startled when a large, calloused hand took one of his. Charlie’s body pressed against his side and the molten voice murmured in his ear “Don’t be” before the dragon keeper stepped back, hand still claiming Harry’s. 

“Come home for the wake” Charlie reiterated, pulling lightly on Harry’s hand until the younger man moved into his body for a warm embrace and allowed him to apparate them both away.

**Author's Note:**

> So this was a teeny tiny headcanon.  
> If you feel like you want to add the smut that obviously wants to come after this please please please hit me up with a link.
> 
> Thanks for reading x


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